As the days get shorter, many of us are leaving for work or returning home in the dark at this time of year. The sun rose at 7:09 a.m. and set at 6:11 p.m. Tuesday, providing less than 12 hours of precious daylight.

It’s hard enough to get out of bed before sunrise, but for the growing number of cyclists who rely on two wheels to get around town, the prolonged period of darkness could pose a safety risk — especially for the majority who are not properly equipped.

According to Vélo Quebec, a cycling advocacy group, only a quarter of bikes on the road after dark are outfitted with the required reflectors and lights to make them visible to motorists and pedestrians. Only one bicycle in 10 has active lighting as required by law — which means a white light on the front and a red light on the back — while the same proportion have one or the other. In a blitz carried out after dark in October and November of 2010, the organization found one in four bikes had the necessary lighting, suggesting the later into the year a cyclist rides, the more serious they are about safety.

Still, these figures are alarming, in light of the huge upsurge in cycling as a main mode of transportation in the last decade. Vélo Québec launched a public awareness campaign recently to show the difference sufficient lighting can make and it teamed up with Mountain Equipment Co-op last week to distribute free lights to cyclists in Montreal.

This is a great initiative, but cyclists need to take charge of their own security. Not only is this a matter of abiding by Quebec’s Highway Safety Code, which requires all bikes out after dark to be equipped with front and rear lighting as well as reflectors, it’s pure common sense. Vélo Québec says the number of accidents that occur in the dark is disproportionately high compared to the number of cyclists on the roads during those hours.

At this time of year in particular, when we are all getting accustomed to the shifting daylight hours and fairweather cyclists may not have put their bikes away for the winter yet, there is more of a chance of being caught riding in the dark unintentionally — all the more reason to be properly prepared in the first place.

Reflectors alone are not enough. They are only noticeable to approaching cars in close proximity, which can often mean at the last minute. This is especially problematic given the growing legion of aging baby boomers with dimmer vision and slower response times. Reflectors certainly can’t be seen in a rear-view mirror by a motorist looking to pull out of a parking space, or by a conscientious driver checking the side mirror in order to avoid opening the door into a cyclist’s path.

Cyclists may also be under the false impression that street lights provide sufficient illumination. But just because a cyclist can see doesn’t mean he or she can be seen by others, particularly by those in cars.

Being visible is also a matter of credibility. Cyclists understandably want respect as they claim their rightful place as legitimate users of our public roads, not only of bike paths. But they need to be seen in order to be respected.

This Week's Flyers

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